For human rights defenders, witnesses, and those caught in between some of history’s most violent and difficult moments, video footage functions as a mechanism for seeking justice, accountability, and hopefully, one day, peace. Join WITNESS (a global organization that helps people use video and technology to protect and defend human rights) as representatives share insights on ongoing projects, the work of equipping activists with archival knowledge and skills, and how archivists can join efforts to preserve this relatively new, but undoubtedly common form of human rights records.

Upon completion of this course, you will:

• Learn about how WITNESS supports activists to document and preserve human rights video.
• Draw attention to citizen footage of under-reported stories.
• Discuss some of WITNESS’s tools and apps made to keep people safe while filming.
• Learn about the use of video footage as an increasingly prevalent form of evidence (legal or historical).
• Learn the importance of training witnesses on archival practices and principles.
• Learn the trends around citizen video footage (livestreaming, app based, constantly changing or proprietary formats, etc.)
• Learn existing guides or best practices for archives/archivists acquiring these materials.
• Understand affective impact on creators, subjects, users, archivists given the nature of violent content.
• Learn the role of metadata to ensure authenticity, trustworthiness, and accuracy.

Who Should Attend:
Archivists, librarians, staff, managers who provide any type of information services.

What You Should Already Know:
No prior experience is necessary.

Once the webcast is purchased, go to SAA's Learning Management System and click the Resources tab to access a PDF of the presentation slides and the webcast exam (if applicable).